Manassas National Battlefield Park announces 'unanticipated' discovery of third body at 1862 field hospital limb pit. The young soldier, who wore New York infantry jacket, will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Marker at the battlefield includes sketch showing Dogan house, where wounded were treated (Devry Jones, HMdb.org)

A young man apparently buried in a New York infantry jacket is the third Federal soldier whose remains were discovered by archaeologists in a surgeon's limb pit near a field hospital associated with the Second Battle of Manassas.

The National Park Service on Thursday said like the other two, this soldier found in March 2024 at the site in Northern Virginia will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. The agency has not released details on the man -- who apparently died from a neck wound -- until now.

Documents indicate the remarkable discovery of the third soldier was “unanticipated.” Archaeologists found six brass New York State Excelsior coat buttons and seven brass cuff buttons.

"Every soldier who fought on this battlefield has a story, even if we may never know their name," said Manassas National Battlefield Park Superintendent Kristofer Butcher (left) in a news release. "It has been our privilege and responsibility to care for these remains with dignity, guided by science, respect, and our commitment to preserving America's history. We are honored that this soldier will now receive a final resting place at Arlington National Cemetery." 

No date for that burial has been announced.

Asked by the Picket whether there has been an attempt to identify the soldier via DNA, the NPS on Friday said extensive archaeological and osteological analysis was done. "Professional archaeological evaluations concluded that additional analysis was unlikely to yield significant new information. Throughout this process, our focus has remained on treating the soldier with dignity and respect while following professional standards and applicable preservation laws."

NPS document indicate the 2024 excavation yielded four new surgically amputated limbs and the body of the soldier. “Found in direct association with this soldier's interment was a rubber pocket comb,” the agency said. The Army has requested personal effects for burial.

The limb pit was discovered in 2014 during excavations associated with water pipe maintenance at the park. Two burials and seven (possibly eight) amputated limbs were removed in 2015. Excavations continued in 2024. In total, three sets of human remains and 16 amputated limbs were excavated and removed from the property. (At right, femur with lodged bullet, Kate D. Sherwood, Smithsonian Institution)

The field hospital was established at the John Dogan farm, not far from the Deep Cut section of the battlefield. The property was known as Rosefield at the time.

Union soldiers occupied this property on August 29, 1862, first using it as an artillery placement site, and later as a field hospital after surgeons “took control of the house” for the remainder of the three-day battle, the NPS said.

Second Manassas was a decisive victory for the Confederacy..

Park officials say they have not been able to identify the soldier, his New York unit or exactly where he was wounded. 

Excelsior Brigade was in fierce fighting

The NPS provided details the initial find in 2018, saying it was the first time a surgeon’s “limb pit” from the conflict has been excavated and studied.

Brandon Bies, then park superintendent, told NPR that the men were likely wounded during a charge up Deep Cut, held by thousands of Confederates. “As (Union soldiers) start to get closer, within 300, 400 yards, they start to receive rifle fire and musket fire," he says. "Men are dropping left and right." 

The Excelsior Brigade, made up of several New York regiments and a veteran of multiple campaigns, fought near the Dogan farm and Deep Cut. Daniel Sickles organized the brigade, but it was led by Col. Nelson Taylor (right) in this battle.

Analysis of the third soldier indicates he was approximately 16 to 19 years old and standing between 5 foot 1 and 5 foot 3 inches.

Soil conditions, historic plowing and backhoe excavation during the water line project led to the remains being in poor condition, according to the NPS.

Roughly 40% of the human remains were intact, and “no complete long bones were present. Historic plowing of the area crushed and relocated the skull (minus an occipital bone) and right arm” documents show. “The knees may also have been affected by the backhoe during waterline excavation. Fragments of assorted bones and teeth were found in soil within the excavated area. Little of the pelvis remained.”

Other items found with the individual include a jacket clothing hook and the hard rubber comb. A report concludes that “A lead artillery case shot ball recovered from the neck area of the remains could indicate cause of death, although this remains inconclusive.”

The soldier may or may not have been in the Excelsior Brigade or wounded near Deep Cut. It's possible he was wounded the evening of Aug. 29 in the fight at Groveton.

Examination of bones showed severity of wounds

A glance of photographs of the amputated limbs of the soldiers found in 2015 shows the bleak realities of war. Surgeons sawed them off with precision because the bullets caused so much damage and soldiers needed an opportunity to ward off deadly infection.

As casualties piled into tents not far from the fighting, Civil War surgeons had to make quick decisions on who might have a chance of going home – without an arm or leg – and who was too seriously hurt to be operated on.

That appeared to be the case with the two soldiers.

The first was in his 20s and died of injuries from an Enfield bullet striking his upper leg.

“Surprisingly, the bullet was still lodged in the femur bone, likely because it slowed as it passed through the man’s cartridge box, the National Park Service said at the time

The second skeleton was that of a man estimated to be between 30 and 34 years old. (At left, Brandon Bies assists in 2015 dig / Kate D. Sherwood, Smithsonian Institution)

He died as a result of a buck and ball shot to the upper arm, pelvis and leg.

The bones were found in a shallow pit, indicating they likely were buried in haste. According to Smithsonian Institution experts, the surgeons were allowed by Confederates to conduct the hasty operations after the battle, when the wounded had been in the sun and rain for days. They may not have had chloroform at their disposal.

The entire pit was not excavated in 2015, apparently because of time and funding limitations. While archaeologists believed there were more partial remains, they did not expect a whole set to be found when they returned in 2024.

The remains of the first two unknown soldiers were buried in a new section of Arlington National Cemetery in September 2018 (At far right in Picket photo, above).

At the time, Bies said analysis of isotopes in the bones, which looked at what had been in drinking water the men consumed, indicated they are likely from New York or New England, according to CNN.

The NPS news article did not include photos, but the agency said it was reviewing them for possible release. "Any materials that are shared publicly will be carefully reviewed to ensure they protect sensitive archaeological information and maintain respect for the soldier's remains."

The public can see the related documents on this page.